Tray partition



Feb. 28, 1939. T. R. CAMERON y v 21,148,581

i I TRAY PARTITION Filed April 25, 1936 71@ Wills Zlfallero n I l .f/f/f/f I 51km Patented Feb. 2s, 1939 I' PATENT OFFICE A i y' k2,148,681 yy A y' TRAY PAR'rmoN Thomas R. Cameron,Hondo,Tex.A Application April 25,1936, Serial No. 76,474

2 Claims.

This invention relates to trays and more particularly to a tray used inincubatore or the like for holding eggs and to a means insertible withinthe tray for holding eggs in an upright position within the tray wherethe quantity of eggs is insuiicient to completely fill the tray.

An object of this invention is to provide a partition for use in an eggholding tray which is readily adjustable to size and which can bepositioned at any .point along the length of the egg holding tray so asto hold the eggs within the tray in the proper position.

' Another object of this invention'is to provide an adjustable partitionwhich will be maintained by reason of its construction in an uprightposition within an egg holding tray and which can be easily positionedwithin the tray or removed therefrom without changing any of the presentconstruction of the tray.

' The above and various other objects and advantages of this inventionwill in part be described in, and in part be understood from the'following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, thesame being villustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: l

Figure 1 is a perspective View of an egg holding tray having a partitionconstructed according to an embodiment of this invention mountedtherein.

Figure 2 is a detail side elevation of the partition removed from thetray.

Figure 3 is a top plan of the partition.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like symbols designate correspondingparts throughout the several views, the numeral I 0 designates generallya tray construction including a bottom II, vertical side walls i2 andend walls I3. This tray construction is conventional and is of a typeused for holding eggs within an incubator. Where the quantity of eggsplaced within the tray IIJ is insufficient to completely ll the tray itis necessary to provide a partition or movable wall between the endwalls I3 and the side walls I2 for holding the eggs in upstandingposition. In some instances, an elongated strip is inserted between theside walls I2 and wedged in upright position or otherwise maintained inthe proper position. It is, therefore, anobject of this invention toprovide a partition which can be in.- serted in egg trays of varyingsizes and which will, by reason of its construction, be maintained in anupright position and held sufficiently tight between the sidewalls I2 soas to properly support ,the eggs in the desired position.

. An elongated plate or strip I4 is adapted to be placed between theside Walls I2 of the tray and this strip or plate I4 is, in the presentinstance, constructed of metal and has one end I5 thereof bent at rightangles to the length of the body of the strip and this end I5 is adapted5 to engage against the inside surface of one of the side walls I2. Amovable side wall engaging member, generally designated as I6, isslidably carried by the plate I4 and, in the present instance, themovable member I6 comprises a sub- 10 stantially U-shaped bar orrelatively rigid piece of wire having the parallel legs I1 thereofdisposed in spaced apart relation substantially equal to the depth ofthe plate I4. The bight I8 of this movable member I6 is adapted toengage 15 against the opposite side wall I2 of the tray I0.

The movable member I6 is slidable in guides I9 which are formed integralwith the plate I4 and these guides I9 are formed by striking a pluralityof tongues or the like from the plate I4 and then 20 bending thesetongues in looped form so as to provide guide eyes to slidably receivethe parallel legsk I1 of the movable member I6. The movable member I6 isconstantly urged longitudinally and outwardly of the plate I4 by meansof an eX- panding spring 20 which engages about one leg I'I of thismember I6, as shown in Figure 2.

In the use of this device where the quantity of eggs mounted in the trayI0 is insuilicient to ll the entire area of the tray, the eggs may be 30disposed adjacent one end of the tray or be disposed in a position to llthe area from one end and the partition comprising the stationary memberI4 and the movable member I6 may then be positioned between the sidewalls I2 of the tray, 35 as shown in Figure l. The tension of the spring20 is such as to yieldably maintain the partition in an uprightposition, this being also assisted by means of the angular end member I5carried by the plate I4. It will, therefore, be obvious that 40 trays ofdifferent sizes may receive any desired quantity of eggs and a singlepartition may be used for these trays which will not aiTect the presentconstruction of the tray so that the removable partition may bepositioned at any de- 45 slred point along the length of the side wallsI2 within the body of the tray.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications maybe made in the details of construction and design of the abovespecifically described embodiment of this invention without departingfrom the spirit thereof, such changes and modications being restrictedonly by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. An extensible tray partitioncomprising a flat metal strip, a U-shapedextension member having the parallel legs thereof disposedlongitudinally of the strip and spaced apart a distance substantiallyequal to the width of the strip, guides integral With the oppositelongitudinal edges of the strip and rolled over from the edges of thestrip, the legs of said member loosely engaging said guide members andthe bight of said member being disposed beyond the adjacent end of thestrip, and a spring bearing against one of said guides and against thebight end of the U-shaped member and constantly urging said U-shapedmember longitudinally of said strip and outwardly of the adjacent end ofthe strip.

2. An extensible tray partition comprising a ilat metal strip, aU-shaped extension member having the parallel legs thereof disposedlongitudinally of the strip and spaced apart a distance substantiallyequal to the Width of the' strip, ears integral with the oppositelongitudinal edges of the strip rolled over from the edges of the stripand projecting laterally of a face thereof and disposed inwardly of saidlongitudinal edges, the legs of said member loosely engaging said guidesand the bight of said member being disposed beyond the adjacent end ofthe strip, and a spring surrounding one of the legs of the U-shapedmember and bearing at one end against the bight of said U-shaped memberand at the other end against one of said guides and constantly urgingsaid U-shaped member longitudinally of said strip and outwardly of theadjacent end of the strip.

THOMAS R. CAMERON.

